A Drunken Old Qrow
by Victor Weiss
Summary: Oneshot! Qrow pays a visit to Summer's grave and decides to give Ruby's whole "Talking to Summer" thing a try. Onesided QrowxSummer. Because I'm cruel.


_**Author Note!**_ _Victor here! Welp, another RWBY oneshot, this one centered around one of my favorite characters thus far, Qrow "The Drunkle" Branwen, and it's a touch sad… And it also shamelessly ecnourage my head canon that he was into Summer! So… yeah, here you go! Hope you enjoy._

 _PS. This was basically an RP post I wrote up, then realized it would serve better as a mini-fic and it was inspired by a picture of Qrow drinking with the text "I swear to drunk I'm not god" across it… weird, huh?_

 **Begin!**

Qrow wasn't sure what he was doing in this dust forsaken place. Well, he knew... He just had a problem with all the snow.

It covered everything, the naked trees, having long since lost their leaves and succumbed to the cold. Snow was everywhere and it gave the area the look of a barren wasteland, it was terrible and he hated it... But he supposed, it was also fitting for the leader of a team named STRQ, black, white. All of it. The Reaper stuffed his hands in his pockets and exhaled a breath, it misted and he stared down at the perfectly maintained gravestone that marked the resting place of his fearless leader.

The lettering inscribed perfectly. Summer Rose. Half lidded crimson eyes watched them, going over letter looking for any slight imperfections before he finally drew himself to speak. "Hey, Summer." He greeted, a little awkward.

He was talking to a headstone, afterall. "I... heard from Tai that Ruby visits you, to like... tell you things. So... I guess I'm here to give you my two lien."

He sighed a bit, lifting his flask and taking a long draw from it, before sighing explosively. "Oh, right..." He said, as if remembering something. "I hope you won't begrudge me a bad habit... I kinda... picked one up." he lifted his Flask as if to show her said habit. "I know, you're disappointed in me." He gave a lazy grin. "I'm... disappointed in myself about it too, but honestly...? I... can't help that it helps me, keep it together. The years haven't been kind since you've been gone. Tai's only just starting to get out of his funk, Y'know how he can be when he's moody, right? Well... think that one time after That nest of Behemoths, only... worse." He shifted on his feet. "Much worse. And Raven... She's still not in contact with us. I don't know where she is so I can't tell you how she's been. I know she's not dead, though! Branwen intuition and all." He chuckled.

"A plus, right? I mean... I think it is. That three out of four is still a good number." His throat felt dry and he lifted his flask to take another deep draw, letting the liquid inside burn his throat on the way down. Surprisingly, it went down smoothly. He sighed. "Right... Well, yeah... Three out of four. We're doing good, though. So..."

He glanced to the side, suddenly guilty. "That's not true, I'm sorry, I don't mean to lie... " He reached up, rubbing his neck in shame. "Truth is... As a team, we're a mess. With you gone, Summer. We've lost direction. Tai really is just beginning to pull himself together. Raven's MIA and no idea what she's up to... And me?"

Qrow lifted his flask, shaking the contents. "Well, you can see me, right? Make your own judgements. Just don't be too harsh, yeah?" He chuckled as his own little joke.

Another draw from his flask, again it down smoothly, much to his chagrin. He missed the burning and a cold breeze flowed over him. "I'm... the same, really. Always the same Dusty Crow I've always been." He mumbled, before shaking his head and grinning, trying his best to be chipper. "But, right... Your children, Ruby and technically Yang. I know she's not really yours, but... I also know you'd love her all the same. Your heart... always had room for more, right?" He chuckled. "Well, Yang is good, she's got... dust forbid this pun, fire. She'll go far, despite my own harsh judgements of her style. And Ruby...? Well, where can i begin with her?" Qrow smiled a bit more fondly this time.

"Well, for starters. She had no talent when she first entered Signal. None, I'm not kidding. I've seen training dummies swing swords better." He chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing worked for her, no weapon or gun. No instructor could find her place, you know? So... I guess I thought I'd take my shot, so, I took her under my wing. And you guessed it." He grinned. "She was a natural with the Scythe. Sure, I worked her to the bone and back for it, but... She was a natural all the same."

He slid his flask back into his shirt and continued. "She... made peace with your leaving. Tai's beginning to, Raven... I like to think she did too."

Qrow took another breath. "We all know this life can be hard, brutal. Hell, I know it better than most. But... We're all getting about, sorting through our things." He paused... Before frowning and sighing. "Damnit..." He raised a hand, running it through his hair. He gave a frustrated groan. "I lied, again..." He mumbled, straightening out. "They... have all come to terms with you being gone. That's true, they can smile and laugh and everything because... even Tai is coming around."

He frowned at the stone. "So why can't I?" He asked the stone, he asked _her_. "Why do I always feel like I need to do this? Why does it always hurt for me to think about the days when we were a team? We had great times! We were an amazing team and we kicked a lot of ass and took more names than anyone else and it was great!" He pulled his fingers from his hair, adding to the messiness of it as he took a step forward.

"I want to get over it! To get over you, but why can't I?! I need to know! You have to give me something, Summer! You may have never had all the answers, but you had the right answers so please!" He closed his eyes with a sudden clenching in his chest.

"Please! Just... one more time. Tell me the answer that will make it all alright!"

Nothing came, not a whisper, not a feeling, not a single thing came to him. He stared, he grit his teeth. "It's all Tai's fault!" He shouted to the distance, his voice echoing. "He let you die! He wasn't there to protect you! Like a partner should do! If it had been me! I would have saved you! Or Raven! Either one of us would have made sure you were still here! That you could be a mother to Ruby!" He clenched his fists and took another step forward, as if on hallowed ground.

"You could have been happy with them! And I... I wouldn't feel this way! Because you'd still be here, but he failed! As a partner and a husband! I've been more a father to Ruby and Yang than Tai has ever been since your death!" He fell to his knees and punched the ground, kicking up snow, but never coming close to striking the tombstone even as the cold bit at his skin.

"So why? Why did you choose Tai over me? What did I lack that he had?" He whispered with a defeated desperation.

Why was the question of the hour. Why had Summer died? Why did STRQ, a perfect team, fail so spectacularly without their leader? Why did, even now, Qrow feel so much for someone gone for so long. So many whys and little answers. "I could have saved you. You would still be here..." He mumbled again, staring down at the stone. "I want you to be here, with all of us. With me." he closed his eyes.

"I want my fearless leader back."

A hand touched his shoulder and he stopped cold. The grip was firm, but not rough. And it was warm, warmer than this forsaken wasteland at any rate. "Qrow." A sweet, familiar voice reached his ears. One he knew, one he _missed_. "You have to wake up now."

His heart hammered and he turned with a sudden relieved panic. Lips parting to shout the name that plagued him so.

"Summer!"

* * *

He woke up with a jerk, shaking his head. He blinked, groggy as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light of the area around him, he groaned, a headache slamming full force into his temples, making him wince and close his eyes as felt a hand on his shoulder pull back, and another voice, male and rougher, speaking about him having to get going as he'd been there without paying for a single one of his twelve drinks yet. And that it was closing time.

The Reaper grunted, "Yeah, yeah..." He mumbled, pulling out some lien and slamming it down onto the bartop, rubbing his eyes and grabbing the half empty bottle he'd yet to finish. A stumble as he got to his feet, he mumbled. "Happy Vytal Festival..." On his way out, chuckling slightly as he exited the bar and stepped into the streets of Vale, he inhaled the slightly cool air and exhaled just as slowly.

Drunk, bottle in hand and memory too fuzzy to recall his dream, a duty old crow staggered down along the street, blissfully unaware of why his heart ached so much.

 **The End**

 _Hope it was a decent read for something that was as simple as an RP post! Thanks for reading!_


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